


Wherever is Your Heart (I Call Home)

by savethenargles



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate title: Bow and Glimmer start a boss ass girl group, Band Fic, F/F, F/M, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Girl Band, Rivalry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:48:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24748618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/savethenargles/pseuds/savethenargles
Summary: Putting together a band was more difficult than Bow and Glimmer imagined. But hope came unexpectedly in the form of Adora Evans and her acoustic guitar, singing on the rough pitted stage of the Whispering Woods Bar.Adora's entire life had been just scraping by while making music with her best friend Catra. But when two young musicians whirlwind into her life and present her the opportunity to change how music is made forever, she's torn between dedication to a childhood dream or the chance to be something bigger than herself.Either way, things were going to get messy. But at least good music would come out of the mess.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 43





	1. The Girl with the White Guitar

“We shouldn’t be here!” Bow whispered, glancing at Glimmer, who just shrugged as she sipped on her shirley temple. 

They had gotten to the bar at six-thirty for an eight pm show, a wise choice seeing how quickly the tables had filled up. Her eyes were on the small empty stage in the corner of the bar, less than twenty feet of space. There was a larger stage on the upper floor of the building, but the small performance for the night didn’t warrant that. 

The Whispering Woods had been a long-standing institution that attracted a lot of up and coming musicians, despite its borderline shady reputation. The furniture was worn, the floor was worn and shoes stuck to the creaky floorboards, and it was dark and decorated with blinking fairy lights and old laps, with plants, both real and fake, hanging everywhere. It felt like a surreal fantasy land that smelled like cheap beer, but almost everyone whoever made it big in Etheria once played there. It was only a few blocks away from Bright Moon Records headquarters, but it felt like a whole new, exciting world to them.

“Why? They weren’t carding at the door, and it’s an 18+ venue. Who cares?” Glimmer piped, reaching for one of the cheese fries that they were sharing. “We’re both 18, and we’re here for entertainment.”

“If your mom finds out that you’re still trying to find members for the band-” 

“Look, the girls that are opening tonight, they’re around our age and I heard from Netossa that they’ve had professional music training already.” Glimmer whispers, pulling out a wrinkled quarter sheet that she had ripped off the wall that said: “Catra and Adora” with a few dates listed. “If we can get them on board, then we can properly produce your music and get it to my mom asap.” 

As they were talking, one of the tech people was getting set up on the stage with a tall teenage girl. Her blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail, though there was volume fluffed up near the front of her head creating an odd hair poof. She had on a rusted red leather jacket with shoulder padding, corduroy pants, and a white t-shirt underneath. Her white converse were covered in sharpie doodles done by a bored hand.

The set up didn’t take too long, and it was the perfect amount of time for Bow and Glimmer to finish their cheese fries and refresh their drinks. Right at eight, the blond girl hopped on stage with an old, beat-up guitar case. Glimmer leans over to Bow with a smirk, “She looks like some sort of preppy homecoming queen type.”

“Glimmer, we were prom king and queen together-” The lights on the stage flashed on, and the blond on stage waved awkwardly to the crowd, which was immediately met with a round of clapping. 

“Hey everyone! For those who don’t know me, I’m Adora Evans. I’m down a person today, but Catra wanted me to send her best wishes, especially after the warm welcome we got a few weeks ago here.” This was met with another round of clapping and cheering from the ground, and while the girl, Adora, seemed awkward in front of the crowd, she was still grinning The set’s going to be a little different today since it is just me, Swift Wind and my looping system. Little more acoustic, a little slower, but still good.” She gestured to the petal system right below her stool. It was a surprisingly simple set up, one which Bow was slightly suspicious of.

“What is she going to-” He was immediately shushed by Glimmer, whose eyes were trained on Adora with an intense gaze that made Bow worry. It was then he saw it. There was an embroidered logo on the pocket of her shirt. One that was too familiar to them.

“She’s got a Horde Records logo on her t-shirt! We can’t let her in the band!” Glimmer whispered loudly, her cheeks flushed red with anger. “If she’s already signed with Horde Records-”

“You’re the one who wanted to come here, Glimmer. She seems nice and not a jerk. Let’s just stay for one song, and if it’s anything less than stellar, then we’ll leave.” Glimmer stared at him for a few seconds, then gave him one nod at the compromise. Good enough for him.

The singer cleared her throat and took a sip of water before leaning back into the microphone. “I think that’s all I got for now. Again, thank you to Whispering Woods for having me here and to all of you who came to hear me play. And now here’s Wonderwall-” The audience laughed at her joke, and she just rolled her eyes. “Well, now I may have to include Wonderwall on my set. But anyway, enjoy the show.”

Adora sat down on a bench, propping a white guitar with a unicorn sticker on it up against her knee. Glimmer and Bow glanced at each other before she started strumming a simple set of notes. Her foot pressed on a pedal, and the sound looped through the speakers, and when it started again, she hummed with the tune before looping it back. She stood up, and her smile was less anxious as she started to sing.

_Come in close, now it's time to tell the story:  
Long ago, and so many years before we_

She pressed another pedal and played a beat, then as it looped came in as she started to play chords that went along with the simple beat. Her smile was now completely genuine, and it drew the crowd in like moths as she sang. 

_Ever were, ever dreamed we even could be  
There were her and her very first heartbeat  
All alone in a corner of the night sky  
Spiral bones of a supernova starlight  
Fell in love with another burning bright  
She dreamed of a way to ignite  
She said_

_“Tonight! Come on, come on, collide  
Break me to pieces, I think you're just like heaven  
Why  
Come on, come on, collide  
Let's see what a fire feels like  
I bet it's just like heaven"_

Her voice never wavered when she belted out the long high notes, hitting every chord as her looping remained errorless, layering sounds upon sounds. Her voice was as clear as could be. Bow and Glimmer stared at each other wide-eyed as Adora sang, swinging her guitar over her shoulder as she stood up to sing into the microphone. The crowd remained transfixed as she finished out the song, and was met with a roar of applause.

“Thanks, everyone, it means a lot.” Her face flushed as she reached for her water again before jumping right back into her set. As she continued to play, all of her songs were flawless. The hour-long set flew by, and in the blink of an eye, she was closing out the show and introducing the main band for the night. 

Glimmer noticed that when Adora got off the stage, a bunch of people just... left the bar to do something else with their Friday night. It definitely seemed like Adora had a fan following at the Whispering Woods, one that rivaled even more of their famous performers. 

Bow grabbed Glimmer’s hand, his eyes bright. “We have to go talk to her! She’d be the perfect singer for my songs.”

Glimmer frowned, resting her hands on her hips. “I thought you said I was the perfect singer.”

“Well, you were awesome when we were writing the first draft of the demo. But you know you can’t hit some of the notes in the album, and Adora’s got that je ne sais quoi about her that speaks star power.” He gets up from the table and searches for Adora in the building, spotting her at the other end of the room by the bar, sipping at her bottle of water. 

Adora was chatting with a rather ragged old woman at the bar when Bow and Glimmer walked up to her. Her guitar was slung across her back, and all of her equipment that she had brought fit inside of a reusable Trader Joe’s bag. 

“You’re amazing!” Bow exclaims, grinning at Adora. Glimmer grabs the back of his shirt, giving her a strained smile as he started blubbering in excitement.

“Um, okay. I just play at bars, it’s not a big deal.” Adora responds, scooting off the bar stool with her glass of water. 

“Oh no, don’t say that!” The old woman sitting next to her hopped down from the stool and reached for Adora’s hand. “My Mara, she’s talented. She’s going to go so far. She’s going to be famous!”

“Oh, she is,” Bow confirmed, grinning at Adora as he held out his hand. “I’m Bow, this is Glimmer.” Glimmer still looked upset, her lips pursed out, but she reached out her hand and shook Adora’s. 

“Nice to meet you. Adora Evans, as you heard before.” Adora said with some trepidation, glancing at the duo. “I’m glad you liked my show, it’s usually better when Catra’s here. She is usually on the guitar for these performances.”

“What’s with the shirt?” Glimmer burst as her animosity got the best of her, scowling as she pointed at the logo on her shirt. “Why are you here if you’re with Horde Records. They’re really strict on where and when you can perform.”

Bow pulled back on Glimmer’s collar. “Look, it’s not a big deal if you’re a fan of their music. I know that Double Trouble’s music is really good and they’re with Horde Records-”

“Oh, we know someone from Horde Records. Catra and I. She’s a teacher and recruiter from our high school. She’s currently getting us a record deal there.” Adora commented, glancing down at her shirt. “The free stuff comes with that, I guess? It was the only clean shirt I had for tonight.”

Bow gasped and flung out his hand, spilling Adora’s drink. “You can’t join Horde Records! Their contracts are abysmal. They’re super controlling over their people in the music industry. It’s terrible!” Glimmer nodded in agreement. 

Adora sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Look, I’ve wanted to make music for most of my life. A record deal’s a record deal. We’re lucky we’re even getting one.”

“But Glimmer’s mom runs Bright Moon Records! And we’re putting together a band, Glimmer and I!” Bow reaches into his backpack and pulls out a composition notebook. “We’re putting together a band that has the potential to change how music is made. We think that you would be an awesome addition to the band-”

“Catra and I are a package deal, and what we’ve got going on is solid. You and your sour friend with the prissy mom who runs a dead record label isn’t really convincing me. Now, I need to go and get Razz a taxi and then catch my bus home.” The bar manager hands Adora an envelope, which she immediately sticks into her bag with her equipment before looping her arm into the old woman’s. 

Bow sighed, nudging Glimmer while smiling. “Can we at least give you a ride home? That’ll save on bus fare. Plus Glimmer likes showing off her car.”

His pestering got Glimmer to smile a little. She turned towards Adora, shoving her hands in the pockets of her bedazzled jeans. “Sorry about that. But well... who doesn’t like driving around at night? Or a free ride.” 

Adora sighed, thinking about the ten dollars in fares it took her to get to the Whispering Woods that could be used for lunch at McDonald's for her and Catra or something else just as delightful. “I’ll take the ride. Now Razz-” 

The old woman had disappeared completely, some crumpled dollars and change laying on the bar where she had sat. Adora just sighed and exited the bar, while Bow and Glimmer became alarmed, but followed her out onto the street.

Razz was standing at the corner under a streetlamp a flurry of moths floating around her head by the bus stop. She turned and waved at Adora, smiling brightly. “See you on Sunday, Mara dearie!”

“Mara?” Glimmer asked as she turned the other way to walk towards her car.

“It’s a long story. But she means me. See you Sunday, Razz. ” Adora tells her, scowling as Bow offers to carry her equipment for her. “Razz means a lot to me, so be nice.”

“No promises.” Glimmer sings songs, twirling her key ring on her finger before it flung off and hit Bow in the face. He sighs as he hands it back to Glimmer, flashing her a smile at Adora, which made her smile back for the first time that night.

“Glimmer’’s usually better than this. She’s just bad at making friends. Give her a chance.” The lights flicker as they walk down the street, swerving to avoid the occasional group of people. 

Adora noticed that Glimmer didn’t comment on it either, but she wasn’t going to rub it in her face. She really didn’t have a lot of friends either, despite Bow’s intentions. “Whatever, let’s just get out of here.”

“Woah.” Adora said as they whipped west on the interstate. Glimmer’s old fashioned convertible speeding at 90 miles per hour. The music Glimmer was playing filled up the car, making her body vibrate to the beat of the music. The skyscrapers were glittering like stars in the night from where they were. If there was anything close to magic, this was it.

“Never been in a convertible before?” Bow asks, keeping an eye on the GPS for them in the front seat. “Glimmer and I sneak out and drive for hours sometimes in the summer. Makes you feel alive, doesn’t it? We go down to Salineas Beach to go to the carnival sometimes late at night. The view from the ferris wheel is better than this.”

Adora nodded, her eyes still stuck on the skyscrapers. “I’ve never been to Salineas Beach. I’ve never been to a carnival either.”

Bow whipped around in his seat. “Wait, what?! You’ve never been to Salineas or a carnival?! Are you even from Ethernia? Glimmer, we have to go now!”

Adora shrugged, leaning up between Glimmer and Bow’s seats to talk with them, her elbow resting on Bow’s shoulder. “Been here my whole life. Just never had anyone take me.”

Glimmer glanced at Adora from the driver’s seat, lowering her volume just slightly on the radio. “I don’t have anything to do tomorrow besides homework, but you’ve got work at the library tomorrow, Bow. And also, we did just meet Adora today.”

Bow sighed and slumped down in his seat, crossing his arms and pouting. “Everyone’s got to go to the carnival at least once in their life. Stupid library, stupid job.”

Adora laughed at Bow’s muttering, especially at how the side mirror of the car distorted his face. “It’s all good. I have dance lessons to attend tomorrow and music lessons to teach at the local community center.”

They pulled off the highway and made their way south towards Adora’s apartment. Her neighborhood was less nice as where the Whispering Woods was, on the edge of Etheria’s wealthy business district. Her neighborhood was made up of worn buildings and abandoned lots, where the main source of entertainment for most was sitting out on front lawns. 

“You didn’t say you were from The Fright Zone, right?” Bow asks, his voice slightly nervous as they drove down one of the main streets. “I’ve never been down here before, have you Glimmer?” She shook her head as they stopped at a traffic light.

“Well, when you’re sixteen and emancipated from the foster care system, there aren’t that many cheap living options. Living here means I can pay for dance and music lessons.” Adora tells them as they turned a corner into a residential area. “You can drop me off here, I live a few doors down.”

The car rolls to a slow stop, and Adora hops out with her guitar and her equipment. “Well... thanks for the ride.”

Glimmer smiles at her, but Bow is digging around in the mini backpack that he had been wearing. “Wait-wait, I got something for you.” He pulls out a thin CD case with a sword drawn on with a sharpie and a piece of paper shoved inside of it. “This is Glimmer and I’s first draft of the demo for our band concept. Just... listen to it, and maybe if you’re interested, call us back? Again, it’s not super-refined, we’re just trying to recruit people. Our phone numbers are inside. Or you know, if you just want to go to the carnival with us, I’m fine with that as well.”

“Pft, who has a CD player anymore?” Adora asks, accepting the CD from Bow anyway.

“I have USBs as well! And a Soundcloud!” He responds indignantly, and Glimmer starts giggling at him before reaching over to ruffle his hair.

Adora rolls her eyes, tucking it in an inside pocket of her jacket. “It’s fine, I have an old radio. I’ll listen to it later tonight or tomorrow.”

“She gets it, Bow. But anyway, we should get going or else Bow will be late to work tomorrow. Good luck with that record deal, Adora. But be careful with Horde.” Glimmer gives her one last hesitant smile, before driving away.

Adora walked up to her apartment slowly, taking in the crazy night she had. Unlocking the door, she could see Catra sprawled out on the bed, which was just a queen mattress on the floor that they shared. Careful not to wake her up, she stripped off her clothes and threw them in the corner before remembering the demo. She pulled it out of her jacket, inspecting the Sharpie-drawn cover.

“She-Ra... cool band name.” Adora slid the demo went underneath the mattress for safekeeping before crawling into bed next to Catra, who rolled towards Adora before falling into a deep sleep again.

Adora liked Bow and Glimmer, despite the chaos they had brought to a normal show. The least she could do was give their demo a listen.


	2. There's Something There...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora gets around to listening to Bow and Glimmer's demo, but also gets exciting news from Catra on the same day.

“So, how was Whispering Woods? Sorry I bailed on you, by the way.” Catra asked as the two of them lounged on the plastic benches of the subway, munching on Egg McMuffins and hash browns. Saturday mornings were their only days that they had dance class at the same time and the subway ride to the studio tended to be their catch up time for the week. 

“Oh, don’t worry. It was nice. More people than last time, so I think the social media boost and the quarter sheets around town have been helping. Razz came by last night, I’m glad she got out of the house. Oh, and I got a demo from two musicians our age looking to make a band. They really liked my vocals.” Adora took a bite of her sandwich, watching out the window as they moved out of the Fright Zone into another part of the city. 

“You didn’t lead them on, did you? Shadow Weaver’s done a lot to help make sure we get a record deal.” Catra replies, crumpling up her wrapper and throwing it across the subway car. Adora got up and picked it up, sipping at her orange juice. 

“No, I told them we’re a package deal. But they seemed really nice, and it’s always good to start making connections. I was going to listen to the demo later after work if you wanted to listen with me?” Ever since graduation, Adora had brought her guitar everywhere. A gift from an old teacher, Swift Wind was a used guitar, with his paint starting to chip and old sticker glue on it, but it was the best damn guitar that Adora ever had. 

“Nah, I got lessons with Shadow Weaver again. I can’t believe she’s still making me do vocal lessons, especially since I’m probably just going to sing backup for you.” Catra rolled her eyes, plopping back down onto the seat next to Adora. “The price you pay to be famous, I guess. Not having any Saturday afternoons free.”

Adora laughed, nudging her with her shoulder. “But hey, we’re going to be famous. Together. How cool is that, _Catrina_?”

Catra scowled and turned away from her as Adora cackled, making the stranger in the train turn and stare at them. “You’re on thin fucking ice, Adora.” But there was no malice in her voice. Adora leaned her head against Catra’s shoulder and smiled brightly. As long as they were together, everything was going to be alright.

###### 

Adora collapsed into the studio apartment she shared with Catra, dropping everything as she immediately went to shower. Two hours of dance lessons, plus six hours of lessons to ten-year-olds almost immediately after was a lot. After getting cleaned up, Adora flopped down on the mattress, unsure what to do for the few hours she had until Catra got home. 

Saturday nights for Catra and Adora before had meant cooking packets of spicy ramen and watching Netflix on Catra’s laptop, which unlike Adora’s didn’t have a cracked screen. If the weather was nice they might go to 7-Eleven for slurpees, or make packets of hot cocoa. Once Catra has started her vocal lessons with Shadow Weaver, those good nights become less and less frequent, with Catra showing up in the evening exhausted and crabby. 

Adora knew Shadow Weaver, despite everything, was helping them. It just... didn’t exactly feel like help.

As the hours ticked by, Adora kept waiting for Catra. By seven pm, she had checked her email and all of their shared social media accounts, checked their views and listens on Youtube, Soundcloud and Spotify, made up a dance routine, and was currently eating an entire box of Kraft macaroni and cheese straight from the pot.

She sat down on the mattress but frowned when she tried to adjust, feeling something under it. Adora reached underneath and pulled something out. 

It was Glimmer and Bow’s demo. She had almost forgotten what had happened yesterday, but it all came rushing back to her. The nerves she had when performing alone, the large crowd that had crammed at the tables, and ride back home in the convertible under the stars.

Meeting Bow and Glimmer had been.... surprising. Adora had never received that much kindness from strangers before. Anytime people pretended to be nice to her, they always wanted something, it was never just because they were being nice, or they wanted her to be their friend. Everything in her life, she had to work for, and she had not only succeeded but prospered. She didn’t need charity. 

But what they were proposing wasn’t charity. It was just a chance, one that she could have totally refused. The confusion of it all for her was realizing that the ride home was purely out of their kindness. There hadn’t been any pressure for her to listen to the demo that made them give her a ride home. They just did it because they could.

Adora waited a few seconds, then succumbed to her curiosity and pried her nails under the plastic cover. It popped it open with a satisfying click. She ran to the closet and pulled out an old radio that they used sometimes to play classical music on the occasions that Adora pulled out her crappy pointe shoes. Blowing off the dust, she reached behind the mattress and plugged it in.

She placed the CD into the radio and pressed play before laying back on the mattress. Adora hadn’t heard that many demos, but she also went to a performing arts school, so she’s heard her fair share of bad music. Despite their kindness, her expectations were set low, and she closed her eyes as the music started playing. 

She listened to the CD once, laying on her bed with her eyes closed. The second time, she read background information and the list of songs that Bow had provided, leaning on her side as she picked at the mac and cheese. The third time, she was sitting up on the mattress, her eyes watching the disk spin in the radio, labeled simply as “She-Ra”.

Their music... was good. It was really, really good.

A lot of the sounds were synthetic, especially if Bow and Glimmer had been focusing on composing on a computer software program. But it fit the positive vibe that the music gave off. The music pulled from elements from synthpop, which fit with both what was trending in music today but also sounded mystical. Glimmer did the music justice with her voice, singing with both an intense emotion as well as tight control that was so rare in music.

But what got Adora was the story that the music told.

The piece of paper wrote about a girl becoming the hero She-Ra, who upon finding a sword, became the defender of the known universe. The girl had abandoned everything she had known upon finding her fate, and the album was meant to showcase the beginning of the hero’s journey, from the loss of her entire previous life to learning how to become the mythical hero people expected from her.

The music was emotional. She could understand the hero, going from what was normal to her to realizing that everything she knew about her life was wrong and realizing the power she had. The songs were a perfect balance of hopeful, powerful, and frightening, making the Adora feel like she was connecting to this heroine. She had never heard anything like this before.

Was the demo perfect and ready to release? Nope. There was a genius to it, but it also felt like two friends just making music together. They needed more -

“ADORA!! Guess what, guess what, guess what?!” Adora snapped her head up, too absorbed in trying to figure out what she was longing for from the music to hear Catra unlocking the door before getting slammed into a hug. One hand went to pause the music of the demo, the other wrapped around Catra.

“W-what?” Adora pulled away from Catra, who was grinning from ear to ear. 

“We’re in!!! Shadow Weaver convinced Hordak to get us a record deal! She gave me the paperwork today when I was at Horde Records.” Catra dug around in her satchel, before pulling out a thick packet of paperwork, grinning from ear to ear. “This is it! We’re ready to start making our dream happen.”

Adora’s eyes widened at the contract, with the Horde Records logo on the front page. It was a thick packet, rivaling the length of some of her music booklets. But this was real. 

“Well, we’re going to have to negotiate,” Adora told her, setting the contract down. “We don’t know what they want from us. And then we’ll have to make more music and more merchandise and-”

“We’ll get there eventually, but for tonight, let’s go out! We deserve it! Get your nicest flannel out, we’re going to Thaymor!” Catra grinned and ran to their shared closet, throwing out the majority of Adora’s flannels that she owned onto the floor before grabbing an outfit for herself. 

“Isn’t Thaymor a 21+ bar?” Thaymor had been the first show that they had ever booked as a duo, which Catra somehow managed to land when they were 15. Adora never asked about how she got it in the first place, but somehow they hadn’t gotten thrown out of the bar and even got to perform their whole set. But once they both realized how much of a lightweight Adora was, they snuck out quickly, their secret never discovered. 

“Well, I have that problem solved. There’s a girl who works at Dryl Electronics who makes fakes. Apparently she takes tiny food as payment, so I gave her the rest of our mini pizza bagels and she made us these.” Catra handed her a shiny fake ID that looked just as real as her real state ID, down to the photo and everything. “But we’re now both 23.” 

Adora inspected the ID, and couldn’t find any discernible difference between this one and her real ID. She quickly pocketed it and stood up, reaching into the pile and pulling out a purple and black flannel, tugging her t-shirt off so she was just in a tank top and jeans.

The CD case was sitting on their mattress, the piece of paper unfolded. Adora wanted to tell Catra about She-Ra, about meeting Bow and Glimmer at the Whispering Woods. But she knew Catra. Now that they had the offer, Catra wasn’t going to be open to trying something new, much less be open to learning about a new, but incredibly risky, project made up by a duo as peppy as Bow and Glimmer. It was a pipe dream to get Catra to listen to their music, not now. Adora reached over to her radio and pressed the eject button, popping it into the plastic case and shoving it under the mattress again before walking over to their bathroom.

Catra had changed into a tight, sleeveless top with a chest cutout, paired with leggings in the same color. It made her look like some sort of superhero, Adora thought, as she watched Catra fluff up her hair in the cracked bathroom mirror. Catra turned and flashed her a smirk, but something about the look in her eyes was almost... soft. “What are you looking at?” 

Adora scoffed and leaned against the doorframe. “You being a priss and fluffing your hair _just_ right.” Catra rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out, but regardless, she grabbed their house keys and tugged Adora out the door and into the night.

###### 

Thaymor was... a lot. They had managed to skip the line when Catra started to pretend like she had hooked up with one of the bouncers once. Once the bouncer realized she didn’t want to deal with the situation, she let them in quite quickly. 

There was a busy bar and a few tables in the back, but the majority of the club was made up of a stage and a built-in dance floor. Friday nights were their artist feature nights, but Saturdays were meant for EDM, for people to shed off their burdens with alcohol and drugs and dance the night away. 

Once they had gotten their first-round drinks (tequila shots with limes to chase), Catra immediately moved into a corner and pulled out a joint and a lighter, a devilish glint in her eyes as she lit it and held it out to Adora.

“What’s this for?” She asked, accepting it and taking a hit from it. Despite being Catra’s best friend, the girl almost never shared her weed, citing that it was meant for “creative purposes only”, a rather loose term.

“I know I was the one who mostly dealt with Shadow Weaver, but I couldn’t have done it without you. It’s your vocals that got us this, not my music comp. Shadow Weaver made sure I knew that before I left.” Catra took it back, her expression hard but her shoulders slumped forward. 

Adora reached over and grabbed her hand. “That’s not true. Without you, we’d have no songs. You’re amazing at what you do.”

Catra’s expression softened at this, and Adora was met with a wave of guilt that she wasn’t sure where it came from. She quickly reached for her tequila, downing it quickly before shoving the lime in her mouth, grimacing at the taste of the alcohol anyway.

“Hey! We were going to do a toast!” Catra exclaimed, flicking the stub away and doing her shot. “I’m going to get another drink. That’s going to keep you going for a while.” 

Adora nodded, it being a well-established fact among the two of them that she was a lightweight. She watched as Catra made her way up to the bar, quickly speaking to the bartender before leaning against the counter, seemingly to watch the crowd indifferently. The music was so much harsher than what she was used to, so much harsher than what Bow and Glimmer made. Her mind was still swimming from earlier, and the alcohol wasn’t helping

“...hello? Hello?! Earth to Adora? Geez, you’re more gone than I thought. Bad idea to get you crossfaded.” Catra was back, everything slightly blurred except for her jewel-toned eyes, her drink glass already empty. 

“So pretty...” Adora reached out to touch Catra’s face, but missed completely. Catra laughed, before grabbing her hand and starting to pull her to the dance floor. The music didn’t seem so jarring anymore. Talking to Catra didn’t seem so jarring. “You wanna know what’s cool Catra? She-Ra.”

Catra just snickered, wrapping her arm around her waist. “Hurrah, hurrah to you too. Now, come dance with me, Adora. We’ve got what we’ve always wanted. Let’s just... enjoy tonight.”

Adora smiled and let herself get pulled onto the dance floor, where she let herself get pressed close to Catra in a way she would never let herself do sober. She wasn’t going to think about Bow or Glimmer or She-Ra for the rest of the night. She’s finally gotten everything she’s ever wanted.

###### 

When she woke up the next morning, her head was pounding. All she remembered was flashing lights and tequila shots and Catra staring at her with a spark in her eye that she had never seen before. 

Catra! Catra... was there, next to her, just as she always was. Adora sat up and glanced over at her bedmate. Her face pressed against the pillow, sound asleep and hair sticking up all over the place. Adora wanted to snap a photo, to save it for blackmail, but she was sure Catra got her fill of blackmail material last night.

She got up slowly and walked to the bathroom, cleaning herself up from the night before and throwing on some normal clothes. It was already close to eleven already, and while she had piano lessons with Razz later that day, she didn’t want to waste her time like she did yesterday. 

The CD was still sitting in the radio, untouched since yesterday. Adora sighed, thinking about what she had listened to. She had never connected so strongly to a piece of music that anyone made. What did Bow and Glimmer plan on doing? 

Adora had questions about She-Ra, but her thoughts were too loud for the apartment. And she knew that if Catra knew what she was thinking about (and she would), it would be close to disastrous if Catra knew that she thought She-Ra had more potential than their opportunity to work with Horde Records, after all their years of hard work. 

There was only one way to get answers. 

She grabbed her phone and the piece of paper, and after a moment of hesitation, she sent a text to the first phone number written on the piece of paper.

_Can you pick me up? I want to go to Salenias._

The response came back almost instantly.

 _See you in thirty._ 😁 

Adora smiled, before locking her phone. Catra was starting to stir, her hand reaching out to where Adora had been before. She bit her lip, before walking over to the mattress and sitting on the edge

“Hey, I’m going over to Razz’s in a little bit. Going to attempt to help her clean her house before piano lessons today.” Catra just groaned and tugged her blanket over her head, causing Adora to laugh. 

She quickly packed up her satchel, before realizing that her copy of the contract was sitting on the table. In a split moment decision, she grabbed it from the table and shoved it into her satchel before heading out the door. 

It was a beautiful day outside in the Fright Zone. The sun was shining, and it was still quiet, which was the most Adora could ask from this place. She walked down the street to sit on a bench and wait for Bow and Glimmer, her foot nervously tapping on the ground.

If today was supposed to be a good day, then why did she feel more confused than ever?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos so far on this fic!
> 
> I'm going to be trying to update this fic every Sunday from now on, so keep an eye out for this.
> 
> Also, feel free to suggest any songs that you'd want me to incorporate into the fic once things really start rolling. I have some ideas in mind for songs, but I'm always open to suggestions.


	3. When One Door Closes, Another One Opens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora sees Bow and Glimmer again, but comes to some serious realizations about Horde Records.

Adora was standing at the corner when Bow and Glimmer pulled up in her convertible, bringing an odd sense of deja vu from her night at the Whispering Woods. She hadn’t taken a good look at the car on Friday, but she could see now that it was a baby pink convertible Volkswagen bug that had to cost quite a lot, especially for a teenager. 

The car would seem garish to Adora, but Glimmer’s entire appearance screamed “I still shop at Claire’s”. With her pink and purple-dyed hair and her bedazzled shorts, the car was the least bright thing that Glimmer owned. 

“Adora!” Bow twisted around in the front seat and waved. His appearance was more normal than Glimmer’s, but still something noteworthy. He was wearing a cropped tank top with skinny jeans, rolled up at the ankles. Adora hopped in the back seat as before, smiling politely as she buckled in.

“How was your Saturday?” Bow asked, turning around in his seat to talk to her as Glimmer drove off. Adora glanced up at the window to her apartment, only to see the curtains rustle just slightly at the window of her and Catra’ s apartment. Fuck. 

“Adora?” Bow waved his hand in front of her face, making her jump in her seat. “How was your Saturday?”

“Oh, um, it was fine. Had dance class, then went to work, then went um... on the town. Those are the words? No, it’s out on the town. Out on the town. I went out on the town.” Adora nodded, running a hand awkwardly through her hair poof. “Sorry, I’m still a little out of it. Had a little too much to drink last night.”

“I got some ibuprofen in my console, in case you have a headache.” Glimmer responded, popping the console open and pulling out a giant family-sized bottle of Advil that had to be from Costco, passing it to Bow. “Always need some of this after dealing with my mom.”

Bow sighed, handing the bottle to Adora, as well as an unopened can of Arizona Green Tea. “They get on it like cats and dogs. Angella’s a really nice woman, but she and Glimmer have like, the opposite personalities.”

“She just wants to play things safe when it comes to music! That’s why Bright Moon hasn’t produced anything good in years. Years!” Glimmer slams on the horn as someone cuts them off, scowling. “But then when people have new ideas and want to take risks, she just shuts them down!” 

“People meaning Glimmer.” Bow clarifies, fiddling with the radio. Adora pops a few pills into her mouth and washes them down with the super sweet tea, before handing the Advil back to Bow.

“Wait, why does your mom want to play it safe with music?” Adora asks, taking a sip of the tea. It was absurdly sweet, but it was ice cold and refreshing with the summer heat. 

“Glimmer’s mom is the head of Bright Moon Records, but it’s declined in the past ten, twenty years. Glimmer is really involved with music and Bright Moon Records, but it’s just not a good space to be “out there” in. Bright Moon has their stars, and they’re reliable, playing into current trends.” Bow told Adora, setting down the phone. “But music isn’t supposed to be ‘reliable’, don’t you think?”

She thought about what Bow meant. Music for her had always been... freeing. If her life was sucking, she could always find a piano and play it until her fingers went numb, or write songs with Catra until the lyrics they came up with got too silly and their sides were aching with laughter. It had given her so many opportunities for happiness and success and had gotten her out of the foster care system. It had been reliable for her entire life, giving her a straightforward path. But now...

“I... I don’t know. But that sucks, Glimmer.” Adora responds, glancing over at Glimmer. If she was honest, both Glimmer and Bow had ‘rich kid’ written all over them. She felt out of place in her second-hand clothes and her cracked cell phone, sitting in the back seat of Glimmer’s nice car. But she couldn’t feel any resentment towards them like she did with the rich kids at the performing arts school that Adora and Catra had attended for seven years. Bow’s kindness was contagious, and Glimmer’s anger and grumpiness were matched with a determined look made of steel underneath her pastel exterior. Adora could tell that despite having better circumstances than she had, they worked hard for what they wanted.

“It’s all good. I’ll get her to understand someday.” Glimmer continued, biting her lip. “And it’ll bring Bright Moon Records back to the top.” She reached over to sip at her Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee, before fiddling with the volume dials on the radio. Bow was on Glimmer’s phone, flipping through songs on a Spotify playlist, a dynamic that mirrored hers and Catra’s.

Adora frowned, glancing between the two of them. How could she be so sure of herself and her abilities? Glimmer didn’t even have a record deal, much less a band to perform their music with. How could she have so much hope-

“Oooh! I love this song!” Bow exclaimed, snapping Adora out of it. “Are you a Carly Rae Jepsen fan?”

Adora shrugged, glancing at the song that came up, but the name not popping in her mind. “Not especially. She’s a really good pop artist though, kind of reminds me of Robyn.”

“Well, that’s what we’re listening to. I’ll put on Robyn after this for you, how about that?” Bow turned up the music, as he and Glimmer started to belt the chorus of the song obnoxiously, but remained on key despite the wind whipping around them. Adora just nodded, letting a grin split across her face and her worries shed away as they drove.

Adora learned on their way to Salineas that Bow and Glimmer talked a lot. Apparently, Glimmer is a business major at Etheria University, something that Angella insisted on when she graduated high school the year before. Bow was supposed to be a history major at Etheria as well, but he had secretly switched his major to music composition a few months ago.

“My dads are historians. All of my other siblings either graduated from Etheria Uni’s history program or their archeology program. I couldn’t just let them down like that!” Bow exclaimed, his eyes getting slightly teary. “But I can’t be a historian. Unless it’s a music historian, and the job market for that is terrible. So I’m hoping to get a job with Bright Moon after graduation.”

“What are you doing, Adora?” Glimmer asks, turning the front mirror to glance at Adora in the back. “Wait, how old are you?”

“Oh, I’m nineteen. I, um, am taking a break from school at the insistence of Shadow Weaver, one of my teachers at the high school I went to who also works for Horde Records. I already had a good shot at a record deal, so right now I’m just working a lot and making music with Catra and promoting it. If I end up going to school, I’ll probably do ROTC at Etheria or go to community college first.” 

Bow frowned at her. “But you’re so talented at music, Adora. I’m sure if you applied to Etheria’s music program, you can get a full ride.”

Adora winced at this. Her choir teacher in high school had told her that, but the promise that Shadow Weaver had for her and Catra had been too enticing. All she ever wanted was to make music that people cared about, and working with Shadow Weaver so far had fast-tracked that dream. She wasn’t sure that singing in a choir, one face out of hundreds would have fit that dream. Her dream looked too much like worn piano keys in a dusty house, and Catra’s satisfied smirk every time she perfected a complicated riff on her guitar, and now that included that sky-high feeling she felt when she listened to Bow and Glimmer’s demo.

“Well, it wasn’t in the cards,” Adora responded, flashing them a smile. “I wasn’t a big school person anyway. I was good at it, but my heart was never in it. Just distracted me from what was important to me.”

Within a few minutes, they had reached the pristine coastline that lined the western edge of Etheria. They had pulled off the highway into a neighborhood with nice, tidy roads with immaculate landscaping and pastel-colored townhouses lining the main street, and Adora could see that there were a lot of shops and foot traffic along the main road. Glimmer pulled into a nearby parking lot overlooking a white-sand beach clear of any trash, and a crystal clear ocean that shined like a polished mirror. People were running around on the sand in bathing suits and wraps, and playing in the water and sunbathing on towels

“I forgot how nice the beaches were at Salineas. I always spend time at the spa my aunt runs rather than coming here.” Glimmer comments as they got out of the car. Adora couldn’t help but stare at the impossibly blue ocean. It had to be one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. 

Bow walked around the car to Glimmer, digging around in the fanny pack buckled across his chest like a satchel instead of around his waist. “Okay, we have tickets, we have our bags, and- wait, where’s Adora?” 

By the time Bow spotted Adora, she was halfway towards the water, her bag left at his feet. She had peeled off her shoes and socks, leaving her feet bare in the sand. The sand between her toes felt satisfying until her feet started to burn.

“Hot, hot, HOT!” She yelled as she ran, skidding to a stop when she was ankle-deep in the water, the burning relieved by the coolness of the water. It was nothing like she had ever felt before. The sand felt soft and squishy under her feet, despite the small seashells dotting the wet sand and poking her. The sand seemed to stick to her feet as she curled her toes in it, but floated away once she uncurled them. 

“Adora? Adora! Adora wait!” Bow and Glimmer had finally caught up to her, standing on the edge of the water, Glimmer holding her gym shoes and socks while Bow had. “You can’t run off like that.”

Adora glanced back at them, staying planted in place. “I mean, you saw where I went, no harm done.” She replied, turning to face the endless expanse of the ocean. “This is an amazing view. I never knew water could look so pretty.”

“Have... you ever seen the ocean before?” Glimmer asked, shooting a concerned glance to Bow, unnoticed by Adora. “You’ve lived in Etheria your whole life, and you’ve never seen the ocean.”

“No. I’ve never had anyone take me before,” Adora tells her, taking her shoes back and attempted to pull her dry socks over her wet feet. A half a mile down, a pier jutted out into the ocean, filled with roller coasters and... a large wheel at the end? 

“What’s that?” Adora pointed to the large wheel, dragging her feet out of the water. 

“That’s a Ferris Wheel.” Glimmer responded, handing her back her socks and shoes.

“What’s a Ferris Wheel?” Adora asked, standing on her tiptoes to peer at the Ferris Wheel over the people on the beach.

“Oh um, it’s a wheel that spins around slowly, but it has these little carts hanging at each of the spokes that people sit in. When you’re at the top, you can see everything.” Bow responded, and Adora dropped her shoes on the sand and shoved her feet into them, sticking her socks into the pockets of her jeans. 

“I wanna go on it. C’mon, let’s go!” She grabbed Bow’s hand and started to run. Glimmer just stared as Bow started running with her, before groaning and following them. When Adora texted back, she certainly hadn’t expected a day like today.

###### 

Adora decided that cotton candy and fried pickles were the best things in the world.

Not together though. She had tried that, and that was gross. 

The three of them had spent a few hours going on the various rides the Salineas carnival had to offer. That was promptly followed by buying a buffet’s worth of carnival food. They sat together at a picnic table as she plowed her way through the selection, the two of them just deciding to share a banana split once they realized how much Adora could eat.

“So... a lot of new experiences today, huh?” Bow chuckled awkwardly, while Glimmer just picked at the ice cream.

“Yep. This has been one of the best days I’ve ever had.” Adora told them, grinning widely. Glimmer looked up from her food. When Adora first got in the car, she had been expecting the collected woman that she had seen on stage, charming and sweet and ridiculously perfect. She had been prepared to not like her, to tell Bow that the first person they found couldn’t be the one, right?

However, the momentary awkwardness that she had seen at the Whispering Woods had been turned up by a hundred, and the exuberance and childlike wonder that Adora had threw Glimmer more off guard that she would have liked to admit. She liked Adora a lot, and she knew that Adora was _the_ one that they had been looking for.

“Hey... I didn’t want to bring this up earlier. But since you ended up texting me, did you, um, listen to the music? To our demo?” Bow asked, leaning forward to deem her reaction as she looked up from her food. 

“I did.” Adora’s response was curt as she dropped a few fried pickle chips into her mouth, her eyes widening at the taste. “This is amazing. Who’s idea was this to make this again?”

“I don’t know. But what did you think?” Glimmer asked, hopeful but also frightened at what the woman had to say about her baby. Adora swallowed and wiped her mouth with a napkin, trying to stop herself from the tempting deliciousness of fried pickles.

“It well... I really liked it a lot. I’ve never really connected with a piece of music like that, and that’s saying something. It’s very cohesive, even as a demo. It just needs to be refined more. But this could be a game-changer in the music industry if someone gives it the chance. ” Adora told them, popping the last fried pickle into her mouth before pushing the empty food container away.

Bow grinned, grabbing Glimmer’s hand and stage whispering, “She liked it, she liked it!” before turning back to Adora. “I’m glad you liked it. We’ve been working on that demo for the past... year and a half? Two years? We’re finally ready to start talking about the project to others, once Glimmer and I agreed to see if this can happen professionally.”

Glimmer nodded, pulling the empty plates away from Adora, as if she would start eating those as well. “We’re trying to get interest for this to create a band, now that the concept of She-Ra and the composition is solid. But it’s been hard. The idea of She-Ra revolves around a fantasy plot that we’ve made, but we need to choose people to portray the characters who can get the emotions and feelings of both the music across, since the music is the plot of She-Ra.”

Adora kept nodding, leaning towards them. “I’m certain you’ll get a lot of interest. There’s a lot of young musicians out there who want to get their foot in the door.”

Bow sighed, slumping a little. “We don’t want people who want to use She-Ra as a money grab or to get their foot in the door and eventually break off. We’re not Fifth Harmony or One Direction. We want people who care about music.”

“So... why are you so concerned about what I think?” Adora followed up, wiping the grease off of her hands. “I’m just some nobody you found performing at a bar.”

“First of all, you’re not just some nobody. You already have a following! Also, we totally stalked your social media and music profiles.” Bow told her, grinning as he pulled up her Instagram, including her latest post about performing at the Whispering Woods. 

“You didn’t need to say that!” Glimmer hits Bow lightly on the arm, before continuing. “More importantly... we want to make you an offer.”

Adora went still, nervously glancing between Bow and Glimmer, who she was almost certain they could communicate telepathically. “An offer?”   
“We want you to be the lead singer for this band that we’re starting. We want you to be She-Ra. The hero of the story, the heart of the music.” Glimmer tells Adora, glancing at Bow. “You’ve got the talent and the star power to be the face of our music.” 

“Wait, what?!” Adora pulled her hand away, scowling. “No! I told you, I have a deal with Horde Records with my best friend that we’ve been working towards for the past 8 years. You’re expecting me to just drop that? I’m so close to getting a record deal with Horde, I can’t give it up now. ”

Glimmer raised an eyebrow at Adora, her stomach dropping nervously. “You have a preliminary contract? From Horde Records?”

Adora nodded, reaching into her bag and pulling out the contract that she had grabbed from the table that morning. “Yep. Got it yesterday. That’s why we went to Thaymor last night, Catra and I. To celebrate achieving this.”

With a huff, Glimmer held out her hands towards the packet. “Gimme. I want to read this.”

She groaned but handed the contract to Glimmer, who pulled a feathered glitter pen (who even uses those anymore?) out of her purse and starts to read the contract, taking notes.

“She’s really good at deciphering legal paperwork. Perks of having a mom who does this as a full-time job.” Bow whispered, leaning over to watch Glimmer over her shoulder. He reached into his purse and pulled out a second one, leaning over to tickle Glimmer’s ear. 

“Stop that, Bow. I’m trying to focus here!” She pushed his hand away from her ear, jotting down notes on the first page. The three of them were silent as Glimmer kept writing, except for when Bow got up and grabbed them another order of fried pickles to share. After about thirty minutes, Glimmer passed the contract back to Adora.

“Look, congrats on getting a contract, but... from what I can tell, whoever this Shadow Weaver is, she’s trying to manipulate two industry noobs into a record deal with a shitty contract that will severely limit your creative freedom and your ownership over your music.” 

Adora accepted it, flipping through the pages and seeing that almost every page had something underlined and notes in the margins. “What?”

Glimmer sighed, reaching for Adora’s hand. “This contract is a hot mess. I could go on for hours over how this is all fucked. Horde’s asking for a multi-album deal, meaning that you’re trapped with them for years if things don’t work out, especially since termination rights are next to nothing here. You’re not getting a monetary advance when you sign, which is usually a few thousand dollars. You’re getting asked to sign over a ton of your rights to your music that you don’t need to sign over, and they’re super controlling over a lot of the various costs, from recording to distribution to touring. That’s just the surface. This whole thing is a scam to try and take advantage of two talented musicians who they know will make them a ton of money.”

Adora started reading her comments, her mind spinning at all the legal knowledge that was on the pages, and Glimmer’s comments breaking those terms down. “I... I don’t believe this. This can’t be happening. Shadow Weaver said that she was helping us. For years she’s been promising this. That her offer will be better than what other labels could offer. ” 

Bow sighed, pushing the fried pickles towards her. “Horde does this a lot. A lot of the artists who sign to Horde end up with a ton of legal fees whenever they try to leave. They recruit a bunch of young artists, make them turn out good music, then spit them out. It’s terrible. And there’s no way you can negotiate all of that out of that contract.”

Adora sighed, dropping the contract and pressing the heels of her palms against her eyes. “Look... I can’t just drop this. Catra’s going to be devastated, and I don’t even know if she’s even going to believe me! And Shadow Weaver’s going to get so mad at us. I-I’ve been working for years towards this contract, all of that work gone to waste. What am I supposed to do now?”

Bow and Glimmer glanced at each other, before swooping around to the other side of the table and wrapping Adora in a tight hug that she didn’t know she needed until then.

“Adora, you’re such a talented musician. I’m sure that people will be lining up to get a contract from you once they learn about how great you are.” Glimmer told her, pulling the contract away from her. “You deserve way better than Horde Records.

“And well... you’re always welcome to make music with us. You’re right, She-Ra needs to be refined a lot more. And we need to find more people who care about music just like you do. It’s not a record deal, but it’s something if you need somewhere else to go.” Bow patted her hair poof like she was a dog, which somehow she didn’t really mind.

She wiped her eyes of the tears, wrapping her arms around their waists. Adora never imagined that in two days, she had her life-long dream shattered into a million pieces. But she also didn’t imagine that she would gain two new friends when all she had before was Catra. 

“T-thanks. I... I don’t know if I can take you up on She-Ra, but I’ll talk to Catra about all of this. I can’t just leave her in the dark about all of this.” Adora tells them, shoving the contract back into her purse. 

“Of course. Just... She-Ra or not, don’t be a stranger, alright? We really like you, and we’re always looking for more music buddies, aren’t we Glim?” They got up from the picnic table, and Bow looked each of his arms through theirs. A scene of Wizard of Oz of the four main characters popped into Adora’s head skipping down the yellow brick road popped into her mind, and it made her feel warm and cozy inside.   
“Alright. I like you guys too, you know.” Adora tells them, walking with them towards back towards the entrance. “Maybe you’ll get to meet Catra soon! She’s kinda stand-offish, but once you get to know her, she’s pretty amazing.”

The three of them exited the carnival and made their way back to Glimmer’s car. They joked and laughed on their way back to the city, where they dropped Adora off at her piano teacher’s house for her Sunday piano lesson. 

Adora watched from the stairs of Madame Razz’s as Glimmer and Bow drove off, a smile on her face and a sunburnt nose. The day had been a confusing whirlwind: actually, the whole weekend had been a confusing whirlwind. But at least today, despite a door being closed, it felt like there was another door that was being opened. She wasn’t 

She pulled out the key she had to Razz’s house, fiddling with the gimmicky lock before it opened. The smell of mothballs and freshly baked goods greeted her as she hung up her satchel on the hooks, a framed picture 

“Razz! I’m here for-” Adora turned the corner, but stopped in her tracks at what was in Razz’s living room. 

Catra was sitting on the couch, eating a piece of Razz’s famous blackberry pie as if she spent just as much time here as Adora did. Razz was puttering around, oblivious to the tension that suddenly filled the room. She glanced up from the pie, and Adora wanted to run, to bolt, to leave whatever was going to happen, which was odd considering that she was with her best friend in one of her favorite places in the world. 

A smirk grew on Catra’s face, knowing that she had just caught Adora redhanded. This was going to be... interesting.

“Hey Adora.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said I'll post every week? Well, I lied.
> 
> I've decided that due to my current work schedule and the fact that I'll be returning to being a full-time college student next month, I'm going to post a new chapter (at maximum) to this fic every other Sunday, so next chapter will be up at the latest two weeks from now. This chapter was a little bit harder to write since it's serving as both a transition to a major plot event and as major character development for the main characters. It also ended up being about a thousand words longer.
> 
> So anyway, enough rambling. I hope you all appreciate this and start getting ready for the angst train next chapter. 
> 
> Make sure to give kudos, comment, subscribe, whatever fits your fancy. Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> This is my first fanfic in 8 years and my first fic on AO3. The song referenced that Adora sings is Cassiopeia by Sara Bareilles, one of my favorite artists. Adora's concert technique is also based on how Ed Sheeran does his performances.
> 
> I'm going to try and post once a week, but I'm also a college student who's starting a new job this week, so yeah. I'll try and make an update schedule once I figure out if people actually like this and want to read this.
> 
> Please give kudos and comments, or suggest songs to incorporate into the series!


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